50 Book Challenge 2020 Part Ten

[southeastdweller]

Welcome to the tenth (and final?) thread of the 50 Book Challenge for this year.

The challenge is to read fifty books (or more!) in 2020, though reading fifty isn't mandatory. Any type of book can count, it's still not too late to join, and please try to let us all know your thoughts on what you've read.

The previous threads of 2020:

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9

I've just checked and these threads this year have moved more quickly than any other year since they started back in 2012! We'd never reached ten threads in any other year.

I hope you enjoy it, Cabin Pressure

I also read The Crow Trap this year, and liked it a lot, so I'll be interested to hear what you think of the other Vera books. RB Digital is one of three (!) apps my library provides - the audiobook player is fine but the ebook reader is dire, especially on a phone (the minimum text size is massive and the controls are really clunky compared with, say, a Kindle). I've never even explored their ebook catalogue properly because the interface is so unrewarding to use. (But I've bought DD a very cheap secondhand Kobo for Christmas so she can download library books - if that works ok, I might invest £20 in one for myself!)

There seem to be so many apps offered by libraries - I've often thought about starting a thread to discuss this, then wondered if it's just too dull . I have access to RB Digital, Borrowbox and Ulverscroft, so lots of choice available, but quite variable user experiences (and it's a pain having to check all three libraries individually to see if they have a particular book, especially as some RB Digital have completely separate search functions for ebooks and audiobooks. I really wish there were a unified catalogue for this.)

(Despite all that moaning, about 50% of my books this year have been from the library, and most of them digital - it's been a real life-saver during the pandemic.)

My library does Overdrive @mackerella, which I like, and Libby which I haven't been able to use as isn't compatible with my kindle. Sometimes the formatting seems a bit odd, but I have the footage which might not help.

@karmatsunami85, I liked the Goblin Emperor, but I loved her Doctrine of Labyrinths series which she wrote as Sarah Monette. Would recommend if you haven't seen it.

I didn’t see the thread, Eine. How odd. Even if she were a lesbian, what possible impact would playing her music have? I do love her, though. Saw her in concert and giving a talk around the time M Train (also a very good book) was released. I have a massive crush on her and spent a lot of time trying to pull off the white shirt and big blazer look but just looked grumpy and frumpy instead of achingly cool.

Tanaqui, my library uses Libby too. Frustrating it doesn’t synch to kindle as I hate reading on my phone. A cheap second hand e-reader is not a bad idea if I can track one down.

97. The Lost Book of the White by Cassandra Clare & Wesley Chu

Light quick read in CC's Shadowhunter world, all very predictable but harmless enough fun if you enjoy her books. One from the library e-book app, I definitely wouldn't have spent money on it.

I've just downloaded Gingerbread as discussed upthread, also from the library - I don't usually do literary fiction, but I'm intrigued, so I figured I'd give it a whirl. (Mind you, I did the same with Ducks, Newburyport, and managed about 50 pages I think before giving up)

I must say I was charmed to learn that Patti Smith is completely in thrall to ITV3 and spends hours glued to episodes of Midsomer Murders, Lewis and Vera. Not very rock'n'roll, admittedly, but it endeared her to me.

I bought DD an ancient Kobo from here - it's about a year older than she is . My main priorities were that a) it was cheap (£20), b) it didn't have a built-in light (to stop her reading under the covers at 10pm), and c) that I could download library ebooks onto it. Haven't yet put point c) to the test, but I'm happy on the other two scores. And it was surprisingly easy to set up! I really like the idea of not being in thrall to Amazon (I buy an embarrassing number of Kindle books in each month's deals ), so I might buy another cheap (but better spec'd) Kobo for myself. Or is that ridiculous?

I hope you enjoy Gingerbread, Sadik - I'm still thinking about it two days after finishing it, and I think it's going to be one of those books that lodges in my brain afterwards. You know when you finish a book and you're desperate to discuss it in huge depth with someone else? I felt a bit like that after finishing Gingerbread, and ended up reading loads of online reviews and blogs about it in an effort to mimic that kind of experience and capture what exactly it was that had burrowed into my brain. (The last book that had that effect on me was The Porpoise, fwiw, and I know that's also quite a marmite book.)

168. The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman

My heart sank when I saw Fortuna give this a lacklustre review upthread and I knew it was one of my Next

I feel really similarly

Seemed overly tailored made to A Cliched Idea Of What The Average Pointless Viewer Is

Was patronising in that respect I thought.

I generally hate in any book references to real world commercial things like Waitrose, M & S or Specific Muffin From Starbucks, its not relevant whatsoever, say coffee chain or posh supermarket and move the fuck on.

Certain resolutions felt silly and made up on the spot

Sigh. I love me a bit of Richard Osman.

But no Richard, no.

I am up late so someone may as well get some benefit from it - Lissa Evans' latest V for Victory is on the Daily Deal today (today now being the 24th, sigh).

Sorry Eine I recognise Osman, but have never seen his tv shows so had no notions in that respect. The book was quite twee and full of clichés though.

I feel like I've turned into a real book grump recently with nothing good to say about anything. When I read fewer books I used to be very easily pleased, but these days I get through so many with much lower hit rate. I don't know if I'm choosing the wrong books because I'm swayed by what's new at the library or if it's a conveyor belt situation and I'm churning them out too quickly. There have been a few recently where I recognise that audio was the wrong format for that book and it has affected my experience. I know I'd have got more from them in print at a slower pace. All I can say is take my reviews with a healthy dose of salt because I'm a grumpy bum about everything at the moment.

Saying that though with my latest read, the kindest thing I can say is 'too many words, not enough plot'. Others might call it creating an atmosphere.

I hope you got some sleep Welsh.

Your late night bulletin is much appreciated though as I really want to read that.

Welsh your message from the wee small hours was timely and has been happily acted upon, as I have just finished...

77. Old Baggage by Lissa Evans Already much enjoyed on this thread. Mattie is a former suffragette with time on her hands and a larger than life personality, which combine to make an absolute riot of a book. It's funny and compassionate, the characters are beautifully drawn, the writing and plot zip along. I absolutely loved this and hope my mum hasn't read it so I can buy her it for Christmas.

I'll need to read Crooked Heart before V is for Victory to pick up Noel's story in the right order, but it would have been daft not to snap up the latter while it was 99p.

@mackerella I'll let you know when/if I get around to them.
Agree with you entirely about RB Digital. Clunky is definitely the correct word for it. It's a shame because my library used to use Overdrive, which was great. Loads of choice, useable app, no problems. Then it switched to RDB and it's been awful since.

That said, I can only use the app on my phone, and seeing as I'm trying to be on my phone less, maybe it's a good thing it's such a pain to use.

Currently rereading one of my favourite books: Fugitive Pieces by Anne Michaels. I haven't gone back to it for years so it felt like it was time to revisit. I'm loving it all over again.

Disappointing to hear about The Thursday Murder Club. I was planning on getting around to that at some point.

A couple of us have liked The Thursday Murder Club - I did, and so did Billie .

I really enjoyed The Thursday Murder Club too.

Our library used to use Overdrive, then switched to BorrowBox for unexplained reasons. I find the choice on offer quite frustrating - there's a lot of dross, quite honestly, and very little I really want to read (ie things mentioned here). The occasional gem does pop up but it's very disappointing to start searching for specific titles and draw blanks time after time.

There used to be a function that enabled you to request ebooks to be added to their stock but they've taken that away. Most annoying.

I've reserved The Thursday Afternoon Murder Club at the library but am 83d on the list, so have time to change my mind!

Thanks to whoever recommended the Susie Steiner crime fiction series. Currently enjoying *Missing, Presumed."

Oh good! In that case I'll keep an eye out for it. I often enjoy books with protagonists in their 70s/80s/90s so I had been looking forward to it.

I feel like I've turned into a real book grump recently with nothing good to say about anything. When I read fewer books I used to be very easily pleased, but these days I get through so many with much lower hit rate. I don't know if I'm choosing the wrong books because I'm swayed by what's new at the library or if it's a conveyor belt situation and I'm churning them out too quickly.

I feel exactly like this too, though I did love To Throw Away Unopened recently and Evelyn Hugo but I am still going for 200 my goal for next year will be much more conservative.

I'm pretty sure I've asked this before - goldfish brain, sorry! - but what is the correct order of the Lissa Evans books please?

Lissa Evans
Old Baggage
Crooked Heart
V for Victory

I didn't think The Thursday Murder Club was terrible. For the most part I really enjoyed it, but my mind wandered off towards the end and I was a bit confused. Please don't let me put you off. I wouldn't read the next one, but I'm not sorry I read this one.

Eine I'm already planning strategy for next year too. I'm going to go back to more print books to slow me down and will scale back the audio. If I can do 75 I'll be happy. I don't think I can be on the Olympic team and have a job at the same time. I've had 2 epic years and that's good enough for me.

Our library swapped from overdrive to BorrowBox and I find it works well. I mostly use for audio and they get a decent selection of new releases. I read the odd thing on my iPad with it and it’s been good for trying chapter books with my 4 year old whilst we figure out what level she’s ready for.